The Apostle Paul wrote, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1Co 2:13). And the Apostle John wrote, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1Jn. 2:27).

Putting Paul and John’s teachings together, we see that the Holy Ghost and the anointing are interchangeable; because the Holy Ghost anoints and the anointing is the Holy Ghost! Oil is one of the Biblical symbols of the Holy Ghost and oil poured out is the symbol of the anointing.

What do we mean by anointing? The Hebrew word, mishchah, means unction or a consecratory gift. The Greek word, chrisma, means special endowment of the Holy Spirit. The special gifts, chrisma, of the Spirit to the Church are described as “Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Working of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Diverse Kinds of Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues,” (1Co. 12:7-11). The Apostle states that the Holy Spirit gives these chrisma as He chooses. When someone is anointed, it is expected that one or more of these gifts will be operative in his/her life. The gifts, indeed, are signs of the anointing. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” (Lk. 4:18-19). His preaching, teaching, healing, and delivering ministry was the sign of His Anointing!

The consciousness of fire or heat may be the sign of consecration to the one being anointed. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize, “With the Holy Ghost and with Fire,” (Mt. 3:11). When God anointed the Prophet Isaiah to carry His Word, He anointed the prophet’s mouth with Fire (Isaiah 6:6-7). Many believers testify of having the feeling of hot fire running through their body or through their hands before the chrisma are released through their lives. Then they pronounce knowledge of something that they otherwise could not know, or lay their hands on the sick and produce a healing that is unexplainable by modern medicine. Perhaps they operate in faith that is greater than anything in which they could believe. They may predict an event that has not occurred, or answer a question they’ve not yet been asked. They may speak in a language they never learned or interpret the meaning. The blind may see, dumb may speak, deaf may hear, lame may walk, addicted may be set free, and even the dead may come alive because of the Anointing. The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is the supernatural equipment to get the job done! It is a sign and a wonder!